Brian Giles announces retirement

Slowed by a bum knee, Dodgers outfielder Brian Giles has decided to announce his retirement from baseball, ending an impressive 15-year career with the Indians, Pirates, and Padres.

"We went into this with our eyes open to what the challenges were going to be and how difficult it was going to be [for Giles]," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Thursday. "My only regret is that he won't have a chance to play here. Most of the last 14 years, I've watched him do damage to whatever team I was with at the time."

Giles amassed 1,897 hits over the course of his career and is a .291 hitter with 287 career homeruns and a .400 on-base percentage. He was also a two-time All-Star. 

His retirement leaves infielder Doug Mientkiewicz and outfielder Garret Anderson to compete for the final spot on the bench.